Team-BHP - On Wi-Fi & Routers

Quote:

Originally Posted by catchjyoti (Post 4922368)

Right now I have a simple modem cum router given by the BSNL franchisee in my society. But it's range is not very good. I believe if I connect it with a LAN cable to a better router (like a TP-Link Archer that I am thinking of buying), the bandwidth available from the better router will be half that of what is available in the basic router.

So I think I will get a modem-only device for my BSNL FTTH connection and then attach it with the LAN cable to the better router. I hope my bandwidth will then not get halved.

Am I thinking this right? If yes, then what are some modem-only device that I can get for this purpose?

You have two options;

1) Dump the BSNL router/modem and buy a new router which has good coverage. Any good router will work for you. Archer C6 is one of them.

2) You can use BSNL one as modem and on the new router run it as AP( access point). BSNL router will handle all the dhcp stuff and your new router will give you good coverage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by catchjyoti (Post 4922368)

Right now I have a simple modem cum router given by the BSNL franchisee in my society.

Quote:

Originally Posted by atulsian (Post 4922534)

You have two options;

1) Dump the BSNL router/modem and buy a new router which has good coverage. Any good router will work for you. Archer C6 is one of them.

I don't think he can dump the BSNL modem as most likely it is an ONU GPON device. He cannot connect TP link directly with the OFC.

You have disable DHCP/Router function in your BSNL just use it like a modem. Then you can configure the TP link to work as primary router.

Recently purchased Deco X20 Mesh

I was previously using a Tp link AC1200 router and another dlink one as repeater for coverage. Along with the ACT 200 Mbps this was giving decent speeds all around the ~1600 Sq feet apartment. Only issue was at the fringes wifi would drop and connect to repeater which was a minor inconvenience during duo calls. I was waiting for an affordable wifi 6 mesh system as adviced by fellow mod Viddy, since wifi 6 is the future. The wait was worth it.

Got it during the sale period through flipkart at about 13,000 INR and I am very happy with the purchase. Surprisingly wifi 6 gives the 200 Mbps throughput all across the house, even when connected to the second unit of the mesh. Even the 2011 Macbookpro which has older wifi antenna's and protocols are able to pull 180 Mbps which for me is really good. Earlier it would max out at 120 at same location. And as per info available wifi 6 is more efficient and saves battery for the devices. The deco app is another super convenient tool and I used it to set up the primary unit and the modem/router and added the mesh unit in just under a minute. It helps in monitoring and even sends notification if any new device gets connected to the mesh. Have connected these devices through small ups for routers to avoid any disruption during the power change over for the apartment gensets.

Only issue faced was my wifee's laptop somehow refused to find the SSID, after a lot of head scratching, a simple update of wifi driver on the laptop fixed the issue.

I got a new HP Probook from office after the Dell Latitude of 6 years crashed. Now, that was one flawless machine and still performed well after 6 years. Now, this new one seems to have a problem. From where I sit (WFH setup) the wifi reception is very feeble. But the Dell used to work well with reasonable (slow, no doubt) speeds. I did some basic troubleshooting and see that there is nothing fundamentally wrong, but just that the wifi module isn't very powerful.

So looks like my choices can be narrowed down to these. Add a more powerful extender/repeater somewhere between the two spots, or get a usb wifi dongle for the laptop. The latter seems the cheaper option, but there is no guarantee that the USB dongle would be more powerful than the laptop's wifi module.

Can someone suggest a dongle that is powerful? I don't mind an antenna sticking out.

Also if I go the router/extender way, what good router would you suggest?

Hi folks,
I just upgraded from a horrible BSNL ADSL network to a Fibre network. I am using the Tenda AC8 Dual band router. The problem here is, due to the routing limitation I had to position my router at one end of the Living room. Though I get goods speeds (100 -130 mbps) in living & passage, it drops in the bedroom & even worse the first floor bedroom doesn’t get any range. Unfortunately it drop just when I enter the bedroom door. Now I don’t know if this is due to the poor range of my router or in general is the case with any dual brand routers.

In this situation, will an extender help? The location where I am planning to position the extender gets speeds of 40-50 mbps from the main router.
There’s only one Tenda extender on the Amazon website with no much choice, hence considering TP-link extenders. Also, different brands of main router & extenders will create any problem?

Any other suggestions are most welcome.

Would be great if you guys can enlighten me on this please.

Quote:

Originally Posted by civic-sense (Post 4923354)

Before moving the new hardware route, it would be a good idea to try out a couple of things from the existing router.

1) Try changing the antenna positions of the router and see if the signal gets better on the laptop. It all depends on the antenna placement on both the laptop and the router.
2) Try changing the Wifi channel to a different one and see if the laptop manages to hold a stable signal. :thumbs up

Personally, I had bad experience with repeaters in the past. Might be a one off case though.

I think you should invest in a mesh system which will provided seamless connectivity across the rooms/floors. During sale , you should get decent deals on TP LINK Deco ones, which I found as value for money. There are more expensive ones also. If possible , get Wifi 6 supported ones so that you are future proof, but would be expensive right now.

I have used repeaters in the past , and I used to get hardly 4Mbps in my master bed room (have a 200 Mbps connection, router sitting in a corner of my living) With a mesh unit installed, I get 100Mbps consistently.

This is the one I use, and it does a decent job
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B083YH7KQH/...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashvek3141 (Post 4926298)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kap04 (Post 4926636)

If possible , get Wifi 6 supported ones so that you are future proof, but would be expensive right now.

With future proofing in mind - I had been waiting for Wifi 6E with 6Ghz support, but I called it quits and got a Wifi6 router. All our laptops and phones have Wifi6 and we cant wait for Wifi 6E.
The TP Link and Netgear - 4 stream ones are relatively inexpensive now. TP link AX10 is $70 now. I am not up to speed on prices in India.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kap04 (Post 4926636)

Thanks for your reply kap. Unfortunately, I recently purchased this Tenda AC8 router during the last Amazon sale https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07...?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
I was completely unaware of this wonderful 'Mesh system', or else would have definitely invested in that. stupid:

The sad part is, I get a decent range on the ground floor as well as my parents bedroom on 1st floor, which is exactly above the router placement. It only drops to '0' in my bedroom which is diagonally opposite to the router placement (1st floor). :Frustrati

Noob question: So now if I purchase a Mesh system for another investment of say 7-8k, will that render my base Tenda AC8 router useless?
Also, on checking the link on Amazon I see that the Mesh system should be purchased based on the coverage area. My apartment is ~ 205 Sq mts., so I believe the below model would suffice?
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07P7KM4Y6/...ding=UTF8&th=1

I get the following speeds currently in my living where the router is placed.
2.4g: 90 mbps
5g: 150 mbps

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashvek3141 (Post 4926932)

Also, on checking the link on Amazon I see that the Mesh system should be purchased based on the coverage area. My apartment is ~ 205 Sq mts., so I believe the below model would suffice?
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07P7KM4Y6/...ding=UTF8&th=1

I get the following speeds currently in my living where the router is placed.
2.4g: 90 mbps
5g: 150 mbps

Don't buy the E4 , it has two 10/100Mbps WAN/LAN Ports , so 100MBps would be what you get max even if you have a faster connection. Go for units with gigabit Ethernet ports.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigron (Post 4918052)

Any recommendation for a Router in the 1500-2500 range. My trusted 7 year old TP Link finally gave away. With these sales happening, might pick up one soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by catchjyoti (Post 4913543)

Any suggestions for a good router which is having a good deal in the ongoing sale on Amazon or Flipkart?

Looking for something for my 3 BHK apartment having a carpet area of about 1200 square feet.

Take a look at the ASUS RT-AC53.